Monday, June 2, 2008

Home Based Business Types, Service or Product
By C Ken Davis
There are basically two types of home based businesses, service and product. Each is quite different when it comes to operating the business and handling customers. Understanding these differences and organizing your business to match the type is essential to your success. Let’s examine some of the differences in the two types.

The Service home business involves providing a service to a customer rather than a physical product. These businesses can usually get started for a small investment without a great deal of room. This service can range from consulting to suggest a problem solution to actual handling of the customer’s product ordering. Total commitment to the customer is essential. A home based service business lives or dies on this commitment. The customer looks to you for help and must trust your solution; therefore trust is the first important step. The second most important attribute in the service business is expertise. You would not go to a dentist to fix a broken foot. Your dentist may be trustworthy but feet are not his area of expertise. Go with what your area of expertise happens to be. Everyone is good at something, your expertise may be from previous jobs or a certain hobby you are passionate about. Never underestimate your own talents.
A product based home business involves selling an actual physical product to the customer. The product is the central point to the customer. Generally the customer has a need or desire for a specific type product. An example could be a car. Everyone needs one but sometimes they desire a different one from what they have. This need and desire exists for the customer and it is your responsibility to meet that need. So unlike the service business, the product brings the customer to you. This is when the trust factor kicks in. Most people buy from those they trust. Your product may be similar or even the same as many others on the market. The trust factor and fair price can win the customer. After the sale customer service will insure continued loyalty and many referrals for other product sales. With a product business there are two options – selling your own product or selling someone else’s product. These two options are different, as well.
When you sell your own product you have to keep inventory of the product. You have to have the product manufactured either in your own business or off-site. Along with this manufacturing, your business will handle all the legal issues with the product. Customer support comes along with all your other responsibilities. However, you are in complete control over every aspect of the business. You ship, handle issues and sell. It is a big thing to take on, but if you have a good product it can mean huge profits.

The second type of product is someone else’s. You usually do not keep an inventory or manufacture the product. The legal aspects and product support are not your responsibility either. Shipping and overall fulfillment are handled by someone else. The main drawback however, you share the profits with the product owner. This can be a split or commission percentage. This means less profit for each sale.

It becomes obvious that there are many decisions to make before going into a home based business. How do you decide which is the best choice for you? That usually involves thinking about what you are going to sell. If you already know then you know what type of home business is best for you. However, if you do not know then you will have to go out and start brainstorming. See what options are available and figure out what you want to do.
Your own Home Based business is tremendously rewarding. It also can earn a nice profit for you and your family. The pride in creating your own business and making it successful cannot be equaled. Don’t go into it blindly, learn as much as possible about the business you are planning to run. Good luck and make a huge profit.

C Ken Davis has had many successful at home businesses. He is now enjoying success with on-line businesses and offers information, resources and help at: http://www.atointernetprofit.com/

Labels: Home Business

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Monday, April 28, 2008

The Importance of a Website to a Home Business

There are two types of home businesses. One type sells products and the other sells services. For a product based home business there is nothing that is more important to success then a website. A products based home business must have a website because that will become the actual face of the business.

In the online environment, websites are everything. Without a website a business is not going to make it because there will be no place for customers to come and see or buy the products. Basically, for the home business a website is the storefront. It is exactly like a physical store for them. Imagine a business in the physical world trying to sell products without a store. That would be quite difficult and not very profitable. A business must have some place from where they sell their products. That is the bottom line.

With that in mind, a business owner needs to set up a website because it is important. Setting up a website requires some skills. Fortunately there are so many options that allow a person to set up their own website without having to hire expensive programmers or other professionals to do it. There are many website making programs that handle all the programming and involve simply the aesthetics of website creation.

The website should have some key characteristics. They are as follows:

- Showcase the business. This includes what the products are and information about the company. Nothing should be left to question. When a customer comes to the website they should easily be able to find the information they need.
- Develop a strong image. Every business that is well known has strong image that is recognizable. This may include using a slogan or a mascot, but not matter what it should be a major point of the website.
- Make it easy to use. People want to shop where it is easy to shop. Giving them an easy to use website is a great way to make it easier for them to buy and make it more likely they will want to shop there.

There are plenty of things a website should have, but these are the main points. Basically, the whole idea behind a website is that it is the communication point between the customer and the business. These three points make that clear and also bring up the fact that a website is also the main representation of the business.

People are going to look at the business website for an idea of what the business is all about. If it is not professional then they will assume the business is not professional. People do not do business with unprofessional companies. It is easy to see the major importance of a good website to a home business.

Many times home businesses fail because they just do not get the point of a website. This is a critical point to being successful in a home business. It can not be stressed enough that for a home business to succeed, it must have a strong website.

Labels: Home Based Business Tools

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Designing the best Website for your Home Business

There is a lot of information about how to build a good business website out there. There are a lot of tips and tricks on how to build a website without needing a programmer or hiring a professional. All of these technical tips and little pieces of advice often overlook the big picture and end up making the home business owner micromanage the small details. While this is nice and will actually be good for the business it is not the only advice a person needs to hear in order to build a good business website. Don't get caught up in the technical parts.

There are three key points to building a good business website. These three points can easily be lost in the technical aspect of building a website. They are very important, though, to the user. When building a website keeping the user in mind is important, especially when building a business website where the user is key to success.

The three points are as follows:

Point #1
Make it easy to use.

A website should be easy to use. A visitor should be able to navigate the site without hassle. This means they do not need to be bombarded with pop up ads or have to search for anything. Everything needs to right there for them and they should be able to easily see how shopping and checking out works.

Point #2
It should be informative.

Online users are now used to websites that are informative and actually offer them something. Most people will simply leave a website if they can not get information from it. People are spoiled, but that doesn’t matter. A website needs a section with a blog or articles that allow the user to get useful information.

Point #3
It should be clear and simple.

This goes along with being easy to use. A website should not be cluttered or difficult to figure out. People are not going to work to get to anything on a website. If they can not figure it out then they will leave. Menus should be clear and every aspect of the shopping experience should be clear.

In order to ensure a website meets these three points a business owner should try it out before going live. They should go through the website and make sure it is not confusing or there is too much on any page. It is also a good idea to put up a survey that allows visitors to say what they do and do not like about the site.

Making sure these three points are covered will really help to make a website a success. It can be a big boost for a home business, as well. People want a good experience and a good experience includes a website that is easy to use, informative and clear. This is all something that can be worked into the final steps of building a website. Once the technical things are handled the focus can shift to making it user friendly and making it a website that people are going to want to visit.

Labels: Home Based Business Tools

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Home Based Business Reality
By c Ken Davis

The great dream of millions of people is to start a Home Based Business. You don't have to commute, you don't have to answer to a boss and you can avoid many worthless meetings. In fact, owning your own business can produce more money than any regular job. You are able to schedule your time and not have to take personal time to run an errand. ALl in all it is a great way to work.

That all sounds great! However, you also need to examine yourself and your work at home business. First you have to come up with an idea, then a plan and then a marketing campaign. Once this is done, you then get to implement it all. If this is done properly and with a bit of luck you are on your way to profit and success.

Now examine yourselve. Can you work without supervision? Can you schedule your time wisely? Do you make a plan and stick to it? If you answered yes to all three then you may have a chance. SO there we have it. It seems very simple so it's probably time to start this business. But first let's examine two types of businesses.

First there are the typical product or services business. You either provide specific products or services to clients. This can entail face to face, phone or email. Of course with products you need suppliers and some form of delivery. It may even entail inventory, so you will need storage of some type. Services are great! No inventory and no delivery. Ask yourself if you have a niche talent or expertise. Once you get customers, hopefully they will continue to use your services over and over if you are good.

Second is business on the internet. The internet is the largest possible marketing universe known. There are millions of prospects for your goods and services. Of course you need to be able to provide these while competing with millions of marketers and providers. The online Home Based Business can provide major profits in a short period of time. It can also cost you alot of money quickly.

Things to expect when you go into the internet world. If you are at like the rest of us, you start by searching the Internet for Home Business ideas. There are thousands. Then you examine a few to get a handle on what you want to do. During this process pay more attentioon to what you want to do as a full time business verses how you can make money fast. If it sounds like a scam, then it probably is. Think of this as you would any business. There are not any true get rich quick businesses out there. If it sounds to good to be true, then it is.

Good luck on your new business and welcome to the Small Home Business world

Labels: Home Business

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Starting Your Home Business

In order to begin your home business you have to make plans to get started. Without a plan you go nowhere or you go in circles accomplishing nothing. In order to begin your business on the right path you should come up with a business plan, a marketing plan and a home plan. Your business plan is a necessary item that will be needed for loan applications, the hiring of employees, for business affiliates and personal goal setting. You want to have information such as what your business is named and what the mission of your business is. What is your product or service and who is it being made for. Who is your target customer base? What will it cost to make your product and what can you sell it for? What will be your end profit? These key pieces of information are needed especially when you require start up funds. These can be funds from a bank loan or an affiliate who is willing to become a financial backer of your company. Create a binder or portfolio for your business plan. Make copies and keep this accessible for times when it is needed.

Included in your business plan should be a marketing plan or an advertising campaign. How do you plan to provide the consumer public with information about your business, product or service? Will you be renting a billboard, running newspaper advertisements, magazine ads, television, radio and so on? Will you have a website or be running Internet ads such as those sponsored by Google ad sense or Microsoft ad center? What is the cost of each advertisement media? Do you have the funding for these advertising efforts or do you need outside funds? This once again shows any outside parties that you have done the needed research to know how you plan to reach the consumer public for sales. You can also include the percentages or charts that show success of similar advertising campaigns and how well your marketing choices will relate to your business.

A home plan is for the benefit of you and your family while your business takes shape. You have to be realistic in the facts that a business does not become a hit success over night. Money, time and effort are needed before you will see a solid flow of income from your home business. You need to be aware of your household budget per week and month. Be sure that you have at a minimum three months worth of savings to allow for household expenses including utilities, food, gas, hygiene items etc. This will allow you to apply other funds to your business without creating strife in your home. You may also want to maintain a part time job position at your current job or elsewhere. If your spouse works this may not be required. The exact plans for a household will vary on the specific family needs. Preparation is key to a successful business start up as well as successful home life as the transition from an outside job to a home based career take place.

Labels: Home Business

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

The 10 Deadly Sins of an Affiliate Marketing Article

At this point in time there is not an online entrepreneur left who does not recognize the immense power and promise that the use of an affiliate marketing article offers. Sure, text links and banner ads are great, but when it comes to creating the kind of advertising vehicle that consumers will hold on to and even pass on to others, you cannot beat article marketing! Of course, like any other good thing there are pitfalls to avoid.

As a matter of fact, the 10 deadly sins of an affiliate marketing article must be avoided at all cost, lest your company’s reputation will suffer!

1. Whatever you do with your affiliate marketing article, do not use it to spam a blog or a forum. Some self proclaimed marketers have attempted to use such articles as forum posts and while they might write different introductions for the article to make it look like an ad hoc posting in response to another forum poster, within a few short sentences it becomes painfully obvious that the post is little more than an unwelcome sales pitch.

2. Unless you are a seasoned wordsmith, have your affiliate marketing article ghostwritten. The sheer volume of badly written articles – be it diction, grammar, or punctuation – is legion and there is little more embarrassing than having your customers point out a number of mistakes and error.

3. Fact-check your articles. This is vital when you use statistical data but also quotes.

4. Keep it pithy. 400 to 500 words are more than sufficient to write a worthwhile piece of non fiction to market your company, good, or service. Exceeding the 800 word count is pushing it.

5. Do not put all of your advertising eggs in one basket but instead commission (if you use a ghostwriter) a number of articles that look at the topic and product form a number of different angles. This puts volume behind your marketing campaign and while one approach may not appeal to your readers, another one might have just the hook you need to get the reader to turn into a buyer.

6. Do not overdo the pitch in your affiliate marketing article. Sure, you want everyone to know that your products and company at the cat’s meow, but unless you tempter substance with advertising, you will not find too many readers.

7. Advertise one thing only per article. Choose your product, your company, or an email newsletter you are offering for free. Cutting down on the things marketed permit for the development of a great strategy throughout the article.

8. Forgetting to include an opt-in link to your mailing list or email newsletter subscription database is perhaps the most egregious of the 10 deadly sins of an affiliate marketing article. Each article that is not offering that option simply is not working hard enough for you!

9. Having too many articles that differ in tone. While some articles may lend themselves to be spunky but intellectual, the failure to have your article ghostwritten by one writer will lead to a number of different skill levels to craft your work. Instead, request that one freelancer be given the assignment to make sure the tone remains similar.

10. Last but not least, cutting and pasting freely available material from the Internet is a deadly sin that might not get you in trouble, but it will show that your company has nothing new to offer. This is not the impression you want your clientele to have of you, your product, or the company you represent!

Labels: Internet Profits

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Monday, March 17, 2008

Online Home Based Business Schedule

In order to run a successful online home based business, you need to create a work-at-home schedule that allows you to get all your work done each day. Even though you work from home, you still need to be productive in order to earn a living. If you are the type who procrastinates, then you may want to reconsider working from home. Those who are able to motivate themselves usually are successful. But this does not mean that people who lack self motivation skills can't learn, it may just be more difficult than for others. Creating a daily schedule may be necessary in order to maintain a steady pace.

In order to create an efficient schedule, you need to write down all the daily task that need to be accomplished during the day. Once you have these tasks written down, then you can begin to create a schedule. Based on the number of hours you want to work each day, you should set realistic times for completion so you aren't rushing through them. Instead, you can take your time to make sure they are done correctly. Many people believe they can accomplish more during the day than is actually possible, so learning how to budget time and gauge how much time each tasks takes can help you plan for your day.

Investing in a calendar, dry erase board, and other materials to create your schedule will help in the long run. Once you have a list, you can check off items as they are completed, add or subtract from the list, and determine how long you need to work each day. The more time you put into your business in the beginning, the more successful it will be. Online businesses are a wonderful opportunity for you to work from home, but you need to maintain a work ethic that is strong. Because you may have to complete various tasks that others in your previous job may have completed, you will find that there aren't enough hours in the day to get all the work done. This will change once your business is established, but you may need to put in extra hours in the evening and on weekends in order to make your business grow.

Online home businesses that sell products to others will require more work than selling services, or digital items such as books and manuals that can be downloaded onto a customer's computer. If you sell products on online auction sites or through a website, you will have to work out a packing and shipping schedule so you aren’t spending all of your time running to the post office to ship an order. Selecting one or two days a week to pack and ship items will help your work load tremendously. Depending on the popularity of your product, you may need to increase these days, especially around the holidays. When you stay focused on running your business and sticking to a schedule, you will find that success is not difficult to achieve.

Labels: Home Business

Recommended: Plug-In Profit Site - Complete Money Making Site Setup FREE!

Plug-In Profit Site
"I was a washed up restaurant worker desperately searching for a way to save my family when I discovered the Internet and affiliate marketing... 24 months later I finally cracked the code and started earning over $10,000.00 per month... Now the same system that saved me is available to you!" [click here to learn more...]

Leisure Audio Books
"Imagine... high commissions, solid product, multiple niche markets, AND a very simple system! It's a crying shame for you not to make higher commissions when so many people do it so easily..." [click here to learn more....]

Success University
"Who else wants to learn EXACTLY how our affiliates earn over $100,000 a month using a simple step-by-step formula? If your answer is "Yes", I'll give you a FREE 14-Day "Test Drive" of our system to PROVE this is the Quickest & Easiest way for you to begin making money online..." [click here to learn more...]

Empowerism
"It's time to put your NetMarketing business on FAST FORWARD with ALL of the tools and training you need to become a SUCCESS on the Internet! All this in a nice, tidy package that's affordable to the masses and pays out a five-figure income! Others have tried it. Empowerism has perfected it..." [click here to learn more...]

SFI Marketing Group
"Earn up to $100 per hour with your own home business. Join for FREE! Millions of people all over the world are making money online. With just a computer and a few hours a week, you can too!" [click here to learn more...]

Host4Profit
"Sooner or later everyone realizes that they must have their own domain name. However, who you get to host that domain makes all the difference in the world. Most hosts simply provide you with space and that's that. You're on your own when it comes to making your new site profitable. Host4Profit.com has changed all that. We turn a necessity into a profit machine." [click here to learn more...]

Leisure Audio Books is working for me as I write!

I recently became a member of Leisure Audio Books, and I want to share my humble opinion with you today.

This is like nothing I have ever experienced before, I was shocked to find that is totally unique, never seen before, and I believe it to be revolutionary, and I'll explain why.

In my past experience, you join a typical program, they give you some cheesy promo tools, and they never say a word to you, they just expect you to go out and recruit as best you can on your own...

This is totally and utterly different.

First of all, the products rock, there's a huge selection of topics on virtually any niche you can think of... all delivered in licenced .wma or Real format, so anyone with a computer, an iPod, or mp3 player can instantly enjoy these fine audio books, at their leisure...

Second, you don't have to recruit, to earn nice money, you can simply sell these real products to real people, and they will be glad to have them to listen to...

Third, the commissions you can earn, are much higher than normal, and I really like that.

Fourth, it's so easy to set up a website and dominate any niche you choose, because the training is so good, it makes it easy to get started right away.

Fifth, I don't have any of the order filling problems, of offering a real product, Leisure Audio Books, has it handled, for me. Lucky me;~)

With Leisure Audio Books, I feel at completely at ease offering anyone hi quality hi fidelity products and the diversity is astounding! They have over 6000 titles meticulously sorted into 160 categories in a feature- packed store.

I had no idea know that there are at least 50,000 identifiable niche markets that can be independently addressed in the search engines for audio books! I do know now and I am out there selling... and for the first time it is working!!!

Plus it's a huge relief to have the experts, Rod and Kevin helping me succeed, I almost feel like I have a huge "cheat" over everyone else, because I'm a part of a caring organization, who really coach, and really train, and really want me, and you, to succeed, no matter what the skill level.

So, I would have to sum it up like this, if you're tired of an endless line of hype, smoke and mirrors, and you'd like to gain traction, start making a financial difference in your family's lifestyle, and have a legitimate, honest, real way to make money online...you owe it to yourself to check out Leisure Audio Books.

Don't believe me, I'm a happy member, and of course I'm biased, so do a check on Rod and Kevin, and I'm sure you'll find the truth is that they are for real, and these are great products that virtually sell themselves.

I recommend that you see for yourself - GO RIGHT NOW, and take in the information presented on the website: http://22563.leisureaudiosales.com

Note: You have permission to re-publish this review on your own website or newsletter.

Make the Leap to Affiliate Marketing Success by Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy

If you are going to become a successful affiliate on the Internet, you need 3 "intangibles." These are things that must come from WITHIN you.

===> Intangible 1 <===

First, you must have a strong WHY.

Why must you make affiliate marketing work? What is driving you? What is it that you CAN'T have in your life anymore and/or what is it that you absolutely MUST HAVE now?

For me, I couldn't stand working 12+ hours a day anymore and missing the experience of my children growing up. I also absolutely HAD TO HAVE the freedom of being able to control my life and finances through a little box that I could carry with me anywhere in the world and not be tied to anyone's time pressures or demands but my own. That was my carrot and my stick. I felt a great pain deep in my gut of missing out on my children's lives and the incredible freedom that succeeding in this business would provide for me. I found my why. You MUST find yours.

===> Intangible 2 <===

You must BELIEVE that it is possible.

If you don't believe that it's POSSIBLE for you to make money with affiliate programs or make your living on the Internet, you won't. It's that simple.

For me, figuring out that it was possible was just a matter of realizing that many other people were ALREADY making great money online. If they could do it, I could too. It would just be a matter of figuring out what those people were doing and then adapting it to my situation.

There is no shortage of undeniable PROOF that people (millions of them) are making money online with affiliate programs. Just get online and do some research and you'll find countless testimonials and stories of REAL PEOPLE making real money on the Internet. Or head to your local bookstore and you'll find the same documented evidence of this fact. Truth is, it's getting easier and easier to make money online with affiliate programs.

I've always said that "affiliate marketing" is the job of the future. In the "old" days, you had to go to a potential employer, apply for the position and hope for the best. Now you can simply go to any company you want, fill out their affiliate application and start work immediately. Affiliates are the new working class. Believe me, making money with affiliate programs or making your living on the Internet is WAY MORE than possible. It is pretty much (or will be soon enough) unavoidable now. Affiliate marketing is the "job" of the future that's already here TODAY.

===> Intangible 3 <===

You must be willing to MAKE THE LEAP.

Ready, FIRE, then aim... This is the operating philosophy you MUST adopt to succeed with affiliate marketing.

That's backwards for most people who like to aim before they fire. The fact is the Internet is a moving target... The only thing constant about it is change. You need to stop analyzing the game and simply jump into it. You can't learn from the outside... You have to be IN THE RING to truly understand it.

The lesson here is that you will never really be READY to start an affiliate marketing business. You simply have to start one. This is what I call "Making the Leap."

The good news is that the cost of failure on the Internet is very small. In the "brick and mortar" world you need to evaluate things very carefully before you decide to open up a business. It's almost always necessary to invest thousands of dollars to get an offline business off the ground. However, on the Internet you can often start a successful business for less than $100. The Plug-In Profit Site is a great example of this.

You simply need get IN THE GAME... Each moment that you stay "out there," you're wasting valuable time that you could be learning and skills necessary to become a successful affiliate marketer. In fact, if you're not in the game yet, you're ALREADY behind the times. Make the leap to becoming a successful affiliate marketer today!

Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy helps ordinary people all over the world make money online with affiliate programs. If you can follow 3 easy steps, you can get your own custom website, autoresponder (email follow-up software) and pre-written email marketing campaign professionally designed and installed and ready to pull in profits for you in 24 hours or less! See details at: http://www.PlugInProfitSite.com/main-20764

Note: You have permission to re-publish this article on your own website or newsletter.

Subscribe to our FREE home business tips newsletter and get hundreds of money making tips and tricks delivered to your inbox. A $147 value, yours FREE! Enter your first name and email address in the form below and click "FREE Signup!"